The dramatic June 2022 floods of Yellowstone have devastated the park and will likely affect the area economically for many years. Are Yellowstone guided tours done for the year, or is there a chance that some might reopen? Understanding whether to hire national park tour guides for this area requires knowing what parts of the park were most heavily affected and whether they’ll reopen this year.
The North Section: The Most Heavily Devastated
When the flooding started throughout Yellowstone, it became quite clear that the northern section would be the most heavily affected. Heavy rain, rampant snow melting, and excessive temperature changes throughout southern Montana washed a heavy amount of water into this section of the park, where the flood started and became the most devastating quite quickly.
Throughout this section of the park, roads are not just heavily damaged but gone. All five entrances to the north are closed and are likely to stay that way for the rest of the year. Park experts state that they’ll likely stay closed for “significant periods of time,” without giving a timeline for reopening. Anyone heading there from Montana and Wyoming cannot pass through the park to avoid this damage.
Officials are closing these sections not just to minimize further damage but to protect motorists. If damage spreads and worsens throughout the region, drivers may find themselves trapped. All Yellowstone guided tours, even with official national park tour guides are closed to the north, though there are sections of the park there are already opening up for use after the flood.
Some Areas Are Reopening
While Yellowstone officials attempt to evacuate over 10,000 visitors in the park (and severe weather prompts continue to affect the area), park officials are already reopening some sections of the park. As Montana state officials scramble to provide residents with safe power and drinking water, the less heavily affected areas of the park, mostly to the south, will see restricted access for some visitors.
The park plans to use an Alternating Plate License System to let in people based on their plate and restrict access to the park’s southern sections during recovery. After this section reopened on June 22, around 20 cars were waiting to come to the park. This number is a considerable decrease from the thousands of people who typically flock to the park daily to hike, camp, and visit.
Some limited Yellowstone guided tours may occur in these areas with specially trained national park tour guides prepared for the unique challenges of this experience. That’s because many businesses throughout the region rely heavily on Yellowstone to survive. As the park brings millions of people to the region every year, many people rely on tourism money to survive.
Unfortunately, some companies are likely to fail to survive, such as hotels that are often booked years in advance. Many are already seeing a wave of cancellations that could sweep through the area and cause heavy economic turmoil.
Yellowstone, the United States’ initial national park, is more than 3,500 square miles of gorgeousness in the northwest part of Wyoming and a section of Idaho and Montana. Situated on the Yellowstone Caldera, which is considered the largest volcano on the American continent, it has several hot springs and geysers, making it one of the most unique environments in the world. Over thirty percent of the world’s geysers are located within the park’s borders. Moreover, Yellowstone is bursting with scenic forests, lakes, waterfalls, mountains, alpine rivers, and spectacular wildlife.
An expedition to Yellowstone implies choosing how best to discover the expansive park, which at over two million acres, is larger than Rhode Island. Any of the five entry points take you into various parts of this park, classified by their geographic site as south, north, northeast, west, and east. Each of these places has several benefits. However, by far, the most popular game is in the west, where the town of West Yellowstone, Montana, works as the point of entry. The following are some benefits of visiting Yellowstone in the summer.
It is possible to avoid crowds.
Yellowstone National Park Summer Tours, between mid-morning and dinner, every outburst of Old Faithful often draws two thousand viewers. However, visit it during the first few hours after sunrise or before sunset, and you will watch the most famous geyser in the world with fewer people. The same applies to the Mammoth Hot Spring Terraces and Grand Prismatic Spring.
Yellowstone has over 10 thousand thermal features to pick from. Thus, the ideal way to escape many viewers is to go past the hot spots. About thirty miles north of Old Faithful, Norris Geyser Basin is the most variable, most acidic, and hottest thermal area in the park. It hosts about 193 geysers, including the Steamboat Geyser, Echinus Geyser, as well as the Green Dragon Spring.
You can enjoy bicycle riding.
What is more exciting, after spending months indoors, than a breeze through your helmet as you ride your bike through the park? Bikes provide an exceptional sense of liberty. Yellowstone has paved paths and gravel roads that allow for fantastic rides. You can rent a bicycle at Old Faithful Snow Lodge and ride the three miles on a paved track. If you are an ambitious rider can tackle the 9-mile round-trip ride to Lone Star Geyser and back.
You can explore it by boat.
Yellowstone Lake, the largest high-altitude lake in the country, has a surface area around twice the size of Washington D.C. To optimize the lake explorations, hire a forty-horsepower motorboat from Bridge Bay Marina beach for between one and eight hours. Moreover, chartered boats each with a captain, are available at Bridge Bay Marina. These boats can accommodate a maximum of six people and are in two-hour blocks.
You can watch the wildlife.
Yellowstone Park is sometimes called America’s Serengeti for its number and variety of wildlife. It hosts almost 16 species of fish, 300 birds, six reptiles, 67 mammals, and five amphibians, including elk, bison, moose, bears, and wolves. Yellowstone Park is among the places in the Lower 48 States that is habitat to all the same species of mammals that habited the area before the arrival of Europeans.
The Lamar and Hayden Valleys are the best spots for wildlife viewing, particularly if you wish to see a wolf.
Since the park is vast, a trip to Yellowstone requires quite some planning. That is where Guided Tours Yellowstone comes in.
These are some of the most notable features of the Yellowstone area:
It’s Simply Gorgeous
Yellowstone is one of the most breathtaking areas to visit if you want to take a trip. It can give you and your family a perfect opportunity to take unforgettable pictures and videos. It’s the type of place designers make postcards from with the green pastures, roaring waters, majestic mountains, and even a few impending eruptions. You can’t get any more of an eyeful from any other place. That’s reason enough to take your family there for an environmental change.
The Temperatures Are Perfect
The last thing you’ll want is to be uncomfortable on a trip, and that’s why Yellowstone is a fantastic option. The weather is perfect, so you’ll never be too hot or cold during your stay.
Lots of Wildlife
Yellowstone is the place to go if you’re a fan of wildlife. You can say hello to friendly bison, contemplate eating some trout, or look out for the predatory wolves. Think about visiting that spot if you desire to see loads of animals you’ve never seen up close.
Why You Should Book Summer Tours in Yellowstone Early
You should never wait until the last possible minute to book a Yellowstone vacation, and you’ll lose out on too many benefits that way. These are some of the positive elements you can get from signing up for your vacation in advance:
Hot Prices
You’ll have access to the best prices by booking early. The closer you get to the common vacation time, the higher the prices, and the more difficult it becomes to book what you want. You can keep your wallet healthy instead of making it hungry by reserving your accommodations a few months early.
Cancellation Options
Your cancellation options might be more reasonable if you book your Yellowstone vacation sooner. That way, you won’t have to deal with a penalty if something changes your plans.
More Organized Trip
Planning your Yellowstone trip ahead of time will keep everything more organized. You’ll have plenty of time to outline your itinerary or make changes if necessary.
Your Pick of Facilities
By reserving your spot early, you ensure that you get your choice of a facility. You won’t have to fight for the type of room you want or get locked out of visiting popular restaurants during the busiest time of the year. It will be a win-win vacation for you and everyone who goes along for the ride.
Now you know why booking a tour in Yellowstone is an awesome idea. You also know the many advantages of booking your trip in advance. It’s wise to start setting your trip up now to reap all the benefits of doing so when you get there.
Yellowstone National Park is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the United States. While the park is most famous for its geothermal features, including Old Faithful and the Grand Prismatic Spring, it is also home to a variety of other natural wonders.
Unfortunately, this famous park also suffers from natural disasters, such as in the summer of 2022.
What Caused the Summer 2022 Yellowstone Flood?
In June 2022, the park was hit by a massive flood that caused extensive damage to infrastructure and forced the evacuation of visitors and residents. Gardiner, Montana, at the park’s north entrance, was particularly hard hit.
The flood was caused by a combination of factors, including record-breaking rainfall, high temperatures, and rapidly melting snowpack.
Rainfall
The rainfall in the region leading up to the flood was indeed record-breaking. Over five inches of rain hit the Beartooth and Absaroka mountain ranges within three days. This deluge of rainwater caused rivers and streams to swell, eventually leading to flooding.
Future precipitation may go up by 9% to 15%. More intense rain is expected along with drought. A mixture of drought and brief heavy downpours spell disaster for the area when it comes to future flash floods.
Melting Snowpack and Glaciers
The melting of the snowpack played a role as it mixed with the rainwater and raised water levels even further. The same can be said for the melting glaciers, which also contributed to the floodwaters.
Climate Change
Climate change is believed to have played a role in the event, as the region has seen an increase in extreme weather events in recent years.
Regarding climate change, the area has experienced warmer-than-average temperatures. Since 1950, temperatures have risen by 2.3 degrees Fahrenheit, and it looks like they will continue to rise.
Yellowstone River
This river runs through the center of the park and is one of the most popular attractions in the area. The river was hit particularly hard by the flood, with extensive damage to its banks.
The Yellowstone River is expected to rise by another three feet by the end of the century due to climate change. During this flood, it saw a historical crest of 13.88 feet. The previous record was 11.5 in 1918.
Flash Floods
Flash floods are a danger in any region that experiences heavy rains, but they can be particularly devastating in an area like Yellowstone National Park.
The park’s geothermal features mean that there are many hot springs and geysers, which can heat up the floodwaters and make them even more dangerous.
This Won’t Be the Last Disaster for Yellowstone
While the summer of 2022 was certainly a disaster for Yellowstone National Park, the region is slowly recovering. Yellowstone tours are available once again, although some areas of the park are still off-limits due to damage.
This event was a stark reminder that the park is vulnerable to natural disasters. As climate change continues to affect the region, we can expect to see more extreme weather events in the future.
Time away from the job improves your motivation to achieve more meaningful goals in life and have a better outlook on life. If you need some days off to go on vacation to refresh and enjoy yourself, you may want to know when Yellowstone is opening for the summer season so that you make your holiday arrangements right away.
At the moment, Yellowstone is already open for summer. We have already begun their Lower and Upper Loop tours, and bookings for this year are ongoing.
The opportunity to experience the majestic and breathtaking nature of the Yellowstone National Park makes it the ideal place to consider for a vacation.
The park has so much to see and enjoy, including the Old Faithful, Fountain Paint Pots, Firehole Lake, the Kepler Cascades, Firehole Falls, Norris Geyser Basin, Gibbon Falls, and many more.
However, without experienced tour guides to help you explore the park, you might get lost and ruin your experience at the park, especially if you are visiting for the first time.
Why You Should Consider Yellowstone National Park Tour Guides
With the proper tour guides, you will be able to explore areas other visitors would not visit, especially the park’s unique backcountry and the inhabitants’ wildlife.
Apart from ensuring that you visit these unique spaces, guided Yellowstone tours will also ensure safety in the park. There is nothing as nice as knowing that you and your family or friends will be able to return home safely after your tour.
The tour guides will also provide other necessary support you may need, unlike if you are alone. Yellowstone Tour Guides will also allow you to choose from the various packages that fit your needs.
What to Expect From a 7-Day Package
Below is a sample of a 7-day trip with short backpacking:
Day 1: Starts with flying into Bozeman, then transferring to Big Sky.
Day 2: This is an activity day, and you’re free to choose up to three activities.
Day 3: Begins with a tour of the Western areas of Yellowstone and geyser basins, including Old Faithful, Firehole Lake, the Fountain Paint Pots, Firehole Falls, Norris Geyser Basin, Gibbon Falls, and the Kepler Cascades. You will then leave for the backcountry for a one-to-two-mile backpacking journey to a private place for dinner and breakfast around the fire.
Day 4: Touring sites on the Eastern side of the park, including West Thumb Geyser Basin, Yellowstone Lake, and the Mud Volcano, then move to the accommodation rooms.
Day 5: Touring the Hayden Valley, the Upper and Lower Falls, Tower Falls, Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, Dunraven Pass, and the Lamar Valley. After this, you will pack for 2 to 3 miles as you go to a designated place for dinner, breakfast, and another night under the stars.
Day 6: Touring the Yellowstone’s Northern Range, Undine Falls, the Petrified Tree Mammoth Hot Springs, the Golden Gate Canyon Rustic Falls, and Bridge, then travel out the North Entrance and back to Bozeman. There will be viewing of wildlife.
Day 7: Flying out of Bozeman, but you can stay in Gardiner and take advantage of the morning wildlife and a short hike if you have a late departure.
Book Your Vacation Tour Today
Don’t miss out! Contact Yellowstone Tour Guides at (406) 995-2399 or send us an email to [email protected] and secure your advance reservation today because we’re filling fast.
